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Counseling Psychology Doctoral Degree Requirements

Doctoral training is intended for those with the ability and motivation to make a significant contribution to the field through teaching, scholarly research, and professional practice. The Counseling Psychology doctoral degree requirements must be successfully completed within a seven-year period. Students typically complete the program within 5 to 6 years, which includes required coursework, a comprehensive examination, a 2000-hour pre-doctoral internship, research and practice experience, and a dissertation. A minimum of 175 graduate credits is required for graduation.

Program Description

The Doctoral Program in Counseling Psychology emphasizes an ecological model of training, research, and practice with a particular focus on prevention and treatment relevant to work with children, adolescents, families, and adults within their environments. The ecological model asserts that human behavior always occurs within a context and that these contexts must be considered if behaviors, cognitions, and emotions are to be understood. Assessment, intervention, and research are viewed within the unique social, historical, political, and cultural context in which they occur and students are trained to consider these contextual factors in all aspects of their work. As scientist-practitioners, students combine theory and research with clinical practice in working with individuals, children, families, and the community as a whole. The American Psychological Association (APA) has continuously accredited the program since 1955, making it one of the longest accredited programs in the country.

The Counseling Psychology Program is committed to infusing awareness of human diversity and multicultural counseling competency training throughout the curriculum. The Program views multicultural competence as critical for being able to effectively conceptualize, assess, and intervene with clientele within their contexts and as critical for conducting sound research science. As such, both students and faculty alike are committed to enhancing multicultural awareness, knowledge, and skills through our research and science-based intervention efforts.

As of fall, 2005, 40 doctoral students (32 female, 8 male; 17 (43%) of whom are biracial/members of American ethnic minority groups; 10% self-identified as LGBQ; and a number of first generation college students) are enrolled in the Counseling Psychology Doctoral Degree Program. Of this group, about 1/2 of the students entered the program with bachelors' degrees, and approximately 1/2 entered the program with a master's degree in a related area. Recent doctoral graduates have obtained positions as university faculty members, as post-doctoral fellows in clinical, medical, and research settings serving children, families, and adults. All Counseling Psychology Ph.D. graduates have been eligible to take the Oregon licensing examination as a Psychologist in the state of Oregon. The program meets a number of California educational requirements as well and helps students identify licensure requirements for all states. Over the past 4 years, all of our doctoral students in the program have received financial support (tuition, insurance, monthly salary) by holding Graduate Teaching Fellowship (GTF) positions at the UofO. Most first year doctoral students hold GTF positions as supervisors or teaching assistants for human service undergraduates in the Family and Human Services major within our department. Eight doctoral degrees in Counseling Psychology were awarded during the 2004-2005 academic year.

Sample Program Progression